how to make greek mountain tea

Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. Put 2 cups water in a small pot and turn heat to medium-high. Bring the water to boiling. Before discarding the bag, squeeze to maximize the amount of phytonutrients which are released into your drink. Only one variety of this plant, Sideritis raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes. Sideritis raeseri is also … Like guayusa, rooibos, honeybush and more, this “tea” is made from an entirely different plant. Greek Mountain Tea is the new green tea. Generations of Greeks have long sipped it as a remedy for ailments from the common cold to digestive issues. In this case, the plant is Sideritis, otherwise known as ironwort. I gave him Greek mountain tea for two months, and now he has improved to such an extent that he is preparing to go on holiday with a friend in the Alps!” Mountain tea, which has a high phyto-nutrient content that protects it from UV rays and other elements, usually grows in rocky places at an altitude of 1000 metres and above (which is why it’s also known as Shepherd’s Tea). Steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the tea steep for another 3 to 5 minutes. The most common English name other than Mountain Tea is Shepherd's Tea because Greek shepherds use the plants to make a brewed tea while tending their flocks high in the hills. While many other teas are made by pouring boiling water over the tea leaves or herbs, many suggest that bringing the water to a boil … Mountain tea; Outcome Measures. Sideritis, also known as ironwort, mountain tea, and shepherd's tea, is a genus of flowering plants well known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as an herbal tea.They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but … Let it boil for 3-5 minutes. This tea consists of select handpicked dried flowers, leaves and stems of the native Sideritis plant which grow wild throughout the mountainous regions of Greece. This videois a short and sweet how-to on the brewing process. Add a teaspoon of the dried herb to a tea strainer or use one tea bag and place in your mug. This does not mean that it does not grow in other countries particularly in the Balkan peninsula. Add a handful of dried leaves and flowers to the pan for every 1.5 cups of water. Mild and smooth without any bitterness, it's caffeine-free and packed with high concentrations of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. What Is Black Tea? The way we prepare Greek Mountain Tea is very simple, yet we need to keep in mind that it should not boil, otherwise its ingredients will be destroyed. Our preferred way is to take a very small handful – what fits in the palm of your hand – of the tea (dried flowers, stem, leaves and all) – around 3 grams – and put in a small pot. Eskil, this tea is known as Greek Mountain Tea because of the historical records for more than 2,500 years. of freshly boiled water atop. A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties. Greek Mountain Tea also known as Ironwort or Shepherd’s Tea, is a sweet smelling herb, grown in a region south of Thessaloniki, Greece. Species: Sideritis scardica. It is native to Greece and the Balkan region. Place 12 ounces of water in a pan on the stove for a 10-ounce (1.5 cup) serving of tea. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Tulsi Tea? This special tea is historically known as “Shepherd’s Tea” because Greek shepherds would make a brewed tea out of the plants while directing their flocks on the hillsides. So, this Greek Mountain “Tea” is for me a bit of a misnomer. Some of the water will evaporate. If using a sachet or bag of mountain tea, put it in a mug and pour 8 oz. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Ceylon Tea? Turn … Strain and pour tea into a cup. Picture Press / Ulrike Holsten / Getty Images. This tea contains antioxidants and flavonoids, and might even help reduce pain. As the other posters have noted, Sideritis flourishes in the wild at very high elevations on very poor soils in very poor conditions. Shaped like a spear with multiple yellow flowers, it grows at higher altitudes, has a mild and sweet aroma and is delicious drunk both hot or on ice and with a slice of lemon. Syriaca is only one of many varieties of Siderities (aka Greek Mountain Tea). Organic and wild, hand picked, Mountain tea (Sideritis purpurea; Ironwort) from the mountains of Epirus, North West Greece. Take a look at this list: That’s right. For every cup of tea, use one or two branches or sprigs of mountain tea. Mountain Tea / Tsai Tou Vounou (Pictured top) You could call Mountain Tea “ironman tea” as its official Greek name sideritis (ironwort), literally means ‘he who is made of, or contains iron’. Greek Mountain Tea (Mount Olympus) Greek Mountain Tea (Mount Olympus) Qty: Origin: Mount Olympus, Greece. The tea is aptly named: The plant used to make it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet. Greek Mountain Tea is made using the dried leaves and flowers of Sideritis plants (ironwort). Add the tea to a pot filled with the amount of water you will serve and bring to a boil. Greek grandmother’s rule: At least one cup a day. Images. Your email address will not be published. Once the sorted tea has been bundled, it is hung in special drying sheds. Harvested by hand, the 30cm plants are gathered together and using a scythe, cut approximately 3cm from the ground. Albania is a very nice country as well as the others, with friendly people and they have many good things to offer to the international community. These plants are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little water and little soil. For a hot preparation of Greek mountain tea, I recommend using a tea strainer. Sideritis also known as ironwort, shepherd’s tea and mountain tea is a genus of flowering plants widely known for their use in herbal medicine as well as a herbal tea. You start with a handful of herbs for every 1.5 cups of water. Benefits, Uses, & Recipes, What Is Green Tea? Break apart a few stems of the tea—including the leaves, stem, and flowers. It is the variety that is grown on the island of Crete (also known there as Malotira). Sourcing: High elevation, hand grown. Other Health Benefits of Mountain Tea → Hippocrates, father of a great philosopher and modern medicine, praised greek mountain tea for its positive effects on immunity and respiratory system. You can add honey as well as milk or lemon to flavor the tea. Reduce Greek mountain tea is a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea infusion made from the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the Sideritis plant, which flourishes throughout high elevations in the mountains of Greece. Work With Us | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Affiliate Disclosure | DMCA Policy, View lemonandolives’s profile on Facebook, View lemonandolives’s profile on Instagram, View lemonandolives’s profile on Pinterest, « Meat Stuffed Apples – Mila Gemista Me Kima. Outside Greece, it is sold as "Greek Mountain Tea" or "Greek Mountain Shepherd's Tea" at specialty shops, and it can be found online. How to make Greek Tea or Greek Mountain Tea as it's also known. Add the mountain tea, leave it in for 3-5 minutes and then strain it -- a couple of tea branches are enough for one regular cup. Add water and Greek mountain tea to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Allow the tea to boil for 3 to 5 minutes depending on your strength preference. In Greece, the tea is sold in grocery shops, pharmacies and herb-and-spice shops, or it can be picked fresh and dried at home. Making Mountain Tea is pretty simple. Pour the tea mixture through a strainer directly into your cup. Mountain Tea is enormously popular in Greece and is brewed most often in winter when levels of physical activity decrease and colds, aches, and pains increase. https://www.lemonandolives.com/greek-tea-what-it-is-and-how-to-make-it On Crete, the common name for Mountain Tea is malotira, and almost every region of Greece has its own name for the brew, such as Olympos tea and Parnassos tea, reflecting the name of the mountain where it grows. Warm up some water and right before it starts boiling retract it from the fire. Greek Mountain Tea has been used to remedy symptoms of colds and flu viruses, gastrointestinal issues, curing some ulcers, and the scientific literature even indicates it is helpful to reduce cognitive and memory decline due to aging. The tea contains high levels of antioxidants and large amounts of essential oils, flavonoids, sterols, and other phytonutrients. Sideritis raeseri is also gathered in the wild in these regions. Then, place the strainer in a cup and pour boiling water over it. Add about 10 ounces of water and bring to a … Greek “Teas” from Yahoo! Pour into a large pitcher filled with ice and serve or refrigerate. The tea is aptly named: The plant used to make it is found on rocky slopes at elevations over 3,200 feet. Modern studies have found it to have antimicrobial, memory, digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits. It is said to have a positive effect on almost anything that ails you, but mostly it is used to combat colds, respiratory problems, indigestion, and mild anxiety. For one serving, add a small handful of the herb to water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. The tea is packaged as loose tea, not as tea bags. Once the water boils, remove your pot from the heat and allow the tea to steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like your tea. Serve with honey or lemon and sprig of Greek mountain tea (Sideritis) as garnish. The plant grows on rocky slopes (Greece and the nearby island of Crete have a lot of those) at around 3,200 feet elevation. How Do You Make Greek Mountain Tea? Ask ten people how to brew Greek Mountain Tea, and you might get ten different answers! So, what are the side effects of regularly using Greek Mountain Tea? How to Brew Greek Mountain Tea “ redolent of the Greek countryside in the summertime, when the intoxicating scent of wild thyme and oregano fill the air”. Here's to your health! When the water boils, pour it into the mug with the tea bag or tea strainer. Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of Greek Mountain tea and place into an infuser Pour in boiling water and steep for 5-15 min Greek mountain tea has an earthy taste and, if you use the flowers, a slight floral scent. For dried tea leaves or tea bags, add about 2 tablespoons or a third of a tea bag, into a teapot and fill with boiling water, letting steep for five to 10 minutes. Gather 1-2 stems of the tea leaves and break them into thirds, Fill your briki (or a pot) with the water; turn heat to medium-high, Place your tea leaves in the water and let boil, Once boiling, remove briki from heat and allow tea to steep for about 7 mins, Pour tea into cup while carefully using a strainer to catch the tea leaves, Sweeten with sugar or honey (optional) and enjoy. It using loose ironwort, place a small handful in a pot with 10-12 oz of water. It is said to bolster the immune system and is valued for its antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory and to reduce fever. For a 10-ounce or 1.5 cup serving: Serving suggestion: Serve Mountain Tea at breakfast or before retiring at night with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and crusty bread. Add leaves, stems and all, and bring water to a boil. Only one variety of this plant, Sideritis raeseri, is cultivated, typically in Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Unlike most teas, the flavor is enhanced by boiling the leaves and flowers. Amount: 75g (2.65oz) Servings: Approximately 25 ($0.44 per serving) Organic: EU certified - DIO. Remove herbs, strain and allow to cool. Go to Top of Page Study Description Study Design Arms and Interventions Outcome Measures Eligibility Criteria Contacts and Locations More Information. Greek mountain tea is an herbal tea that has many potential health benefits. These plants are hardy flowering perennials that have adapted to survive with little water and little soil. Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes and steep for about 3-5 minutes, depending on desired strength. The tea made from Sideritis raeseri is credited with easing a wide range of physical ailments. After steeping for about five minutes, your hot cup of Greek mountain tea should be ready! 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